Category Feature Posts

Sep 9 2014
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Top Ten Underrated Fantasy Authors!

top ten tuesday

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

 I did a TTT similar to this many moons ago so I need to apologize to the handful of you who have been following me since then. I normally don’t repeat topics, but I strongly feel that these authors deserve just as much of a spotlight as the well-known mainstream authors (if not more). Talking about brilliant authors most people haven’t discovered yet is why I love being a bookseller and a book blogger. It’s impossible to read all the books, so you might as well read the best. I should point out that these authors may not be technically “underrated” but they are certainly deserving of more recognition!

Top Ten Underrated Fantasy Authors!

 Not only are these epic, well-rounded fantasies, but also happened to be among my all-time favorites. Their writing, plots, characters, and world-building are phenomenal and on par with (and in some cases better than) any other fantasies on the market. These authors deserve kudos for their amazing story-telling, and I plan to continue championing them for as long as I can. If you love fantasy and need some good reading, this is a great place to start!

by Niki Hawkes

Sep 1 2014
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Top Ten Books I’m Taking on My Cruise!

top ten tuesday

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This topic is in no way, shape, or form even close to what it was supposed to be (Top Ten Characters I’d Have Lunch With) because my Top Ten Favorite Character Names and Top Ten Female Characters Who Inspire Me lists pretty much covered everything I wanted to say on the subject. Therefore, I am taking a personal angle this week by naming the:

Top Ten Books I’m Taking on My Cruise!

All of these titles are on my Nook, which is why this post is significantly different than my Top Ten Books on My Fall 2014 list coming up in a couple of weeks. I have been beating myself up for months for not having read some of these titles, so the fact that I am limited to just what’s on my Nook while on vacation actually has me excited that I stalled on reading them for so long. Our Alaskan cruise is going to be amazing (pictures to come), and I’ve somehow managed to save some of the best books to take along!

Have you read any of these? Which one should I start?

by Niki Hawkes

Aug 30 2014
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Stacking the Shelves – August 2014 Edition!

Stacking the shelves

Hosted by Tinga’s Reviews

While I didn’t go totally hogwild this month buying books, I still somehow managed to knock my Read 4, Buy 1 challenge back several weeks. As it sits, I have about twelve books to read before I can start working towards my next book purchase. I have no one to blame but myself… and those really awesome Barnes & Noble coupons. I was tempted to just say “Happy August to me – here are some extra books!” which I’m totally within my rights to do (because I make the rules for my own challenge and that’s one of the perks). However, this reward system has been working so well for me this year that I decided I’m going to actually “earn” the books I splurged on this month before I let myself buy more. Don’t panic!! I have a two week cruise coming up where I will have ample time to read and very few opportunities to purchase books. :) Here’s a look at what I picked up this month:

Hardcopies:

sts1

 I love the books I acquired this month. A couple of them were bargain splurges, but the real gem is my signed copy of Fool’s Assassin by Robin Hobb. It’seasily one of my favorite books EVER and I am tickled to add it as a beautiful hardcover to my collection. I also thoroughly enjoyed Defy, and will be chasing down the author at the Vegas Valley Book Festival this October to get it signed. And you all know how much I loved The Girl of Fire and Thorns, so I had to have these short stories… it really wasn’t a choice.

Library:

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March this year is the first time since I was twelve that I have taken advantage of my local library. You see, after working for a bookstore for eleven years, I got used to the convenience of buying all the books I wanted to read at a discounts and being able to check out hardcovers (although, I tended to just buy everything). I am a very flighty reader, so I was concerned that I would check books out from the library and end up returning them unread because I never got around to them. While that has happened with a few, I have actually managed to get through almost everything else. This surprises me. Anyway, I’ve already read Perfected and will definitely be adding it to my collection (as soon as I catch up with my reading challenge of course).

 That’s it for me this month! All-in-all, not a bad haul. :-)

What books stacked your shelves this month?

by Niki Hawkes

Aug 26 2014
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Top Ten Books I Want to Own!

top ten tuesday

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I love buying books. And lucky for all of you, I also love talking about buying books. Being a bookseller for eleven years can really take a toll on your bank account (and shelves), and I’m sure all of you book lovers can imagine how difficult it was to show restraint (I’ve heard it compared to allowing an alcoholic to work in a bar). Because I’ve been collecting for so long, my library is pretty extensive and there are not many books I want to read that I don’t already own. That is why everything on my list are either new or upcoming releases (with the sole exception of Independent Study – I absolutely loved it, but didn’t like books 1 or 3 nearly as much… to buy, or not to buy?).

Top Ten Books I Want to Own!

 As I’ve been working really hard towards becoming a conservative book buyer (it has been really painful), I started a Read 4, Buy 1 system and it has actually been working! Not only do I feel like I get a reward every fourth book, but it keeps a steady stream of books arriving at my doorstep (happies!!!). It has also turned me into a much more careful book buyer. Before, I would buy anything and everything I thought I might want to read one day. And not just book 1, but the entire series! As you can imagine, I found myself in a lot of trouble when I figured out I didn’t like the first book as much as I thought I would. Now, unless it’s a new book from an author I already love, I make a point to read new authors before I buy them. My collection has grown so much more special now that I’m bringing home only the “best” books. To make a long story short, five of the books above are from authors I love while the other five books are ones I’ve already read… awesome! lol

What books would you like to own? Any from my list?

by Niki Hawkes

Aug 18 2014
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Niki’s Top Twelve Must-Read Books!

top ten tuesday

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

 This weeks Post was supposed to be along the lines of must-read titles that other people have told me about. Because I haven’t yet read many of the titles that made that list (and therefore can’t personally vouch for their awesomeness) I decided to take a spin on the topic and present my own list of must-reads. I realize this must look similar to many of my other lists, but I just can’t can’t seem to stop raving about my all-time favorite titles. Now, of course, this list is only helpful if you’re a speculative fiction fanatic like me. ;)

Niki’s Top Twelve Must-Read Books:

Fantasy:

The Name the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

 Science Fiction (specifically Space Opera):

Grimspace by Ann Aguirre
Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey
Survival by Julie E. Czerneda

Young Adult:

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Partials by Dan Wells
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

 Urban Fantasy:

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur
Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

These titles have all earned their spots in my favorites list and are usually the first books I recommend to new readers of their given genre.

What books would make your list?

by Niki Hawkes

Aug 18 2014
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Bout of Books Read-a-thon!

bout of books

 This will be the first time I’ve ever participated in a read-a-thon, and I am super pumped to get started. I almost didn’t realize it was happening, so thank you Emily and Danie over at Oh, Magic Hour! for bringing it to my attention. As I’ve just finished up work for one job and have a two week break until my next one starts, this read-a-thon couldn’t have come at a better time!

Here’s a little more about the event:

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 18th and runs through Sunday, August 24th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 11 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

Niki’s Goals:

– Finish at least 5 books

– Read at least 1000 pages

– Finish at least 2 ARCs

– Finish at least 2 library books

Here’s a look at the books on my immediate radar:
(subject to change if I see something shiny)

I doubt I’ll make it through all of them, but at least I’ve got a lot of great books to choose from. I’ve also included quite a few YA books because, let’s face it, they’re fast reads. 

 Daily Updates:

 Monday:

Pages: 166 / Books: 0

 Tuesday:

Pages: 158 / Books: 1 (The 100 – ARC)

 Wednesday:

Pages: 139 / Books: 0

 Thursday:

Pages: 54 / Books: 0 (Yikes!)

 Friday:

Pages: 93 / Books: 0

I spent the entire day wanting to read, but got wrangled in to a bunch of obligations… sigh.

 Saturday:

Pages: 161 (Booya!) / Books: 0

I’m trying to read too many at once.

 Sunday:

Pages: 85 / Books: 0

Total:

Pages: 856 / Books: 1

Well, I didn’t quite make my goals, but I did have a lot of fun, so I guess that’s a win, haha. I should have realized that 1000 pages would not equal 5 books, then I made it worse by starting about 8 books in that timeframe. All rookie mistakes. For the record, I am really close to finishing 2 of them. :)

by Niki Hawkes